Students In Lima Skip Tuesday Class To Surf

Lima, Peru - As we strolled along the Pacific Ocean’s coastline at the edge of Lima’s city limits on a Tuesday morning, we saw surfers lining up to enjoy the waves that crashed along the boardwalk.

We drew closer to the beach to see these surfers in action. As we came closer, we realized that one side of the inlet was for tourists learning to surf from the dozens of surf instructors that called to anyone that walked by, while the other side was reserved for locals (an unwritten rule).

Along the local side of the beach, we sat on a rock and watched people wait for the perfect wave. From time to time, young kids (apparently between ages 9 and 13) flocked to the ocean with their surfboards and paddled away into the waves.

Skipping school on a Tuesday morning, these young kids tore up the surf for at least a half hour until their parents came to find them to drag them out of the water.

The conversations between these surfer kids and their parents were standard: parents scolded their kids lovingly, and kids made excuses for why today was the day to surf.

It was an interesting glimpse into day-to-day life of the Lima schoolchildren, and their parents. And, selfishly, it was an awesome opportunity to see some quality local surfing.